The Bond Broken?

I remember fondly the days I wrote about the bond Carter and Addie were developing. We have been blown away by the success of the first 25 months and owe 90 percent of it to Carter's gentle and patient personality. Well, about 3 weeks ago, that BOND came to a screeching halt when suddenly the 2 of them could not be in the same room as each other with out scratching, hitting or screaming, ultimately ending in a major breakdown with both of them. Blake and I were at our wits end wondering what went so wrong? Thank goodness 10 days later and separate baths and everything else, they just as suddenly snapped out of it... thank goodness! (But I did get a sneak peak at what the adolescent years will look like with these 2!)

After we got home one afternoon, I was unloading the car and came in the kitchen to find this sequence of events happening. Addie talked her "Bubba" into helping her get a specific pink sippy cup she wanted out of the cabinet. She proceeded to open the refrigerator all by herself, get out her TWO different cartons of soy milk we mix together and evenly poor her own combination of milk. She was so focused on the task, I seriously don't think she had a clue I was behind her documenting all this.

When she wants her "milky," she is serious. A very determined and self sufficient little girl.

Just some sweet & random pictures over the last week of them back together not trying to kill each other...

We are so thankful that the love is back.

Some Days...

are rougher than others when you are 2 years old...

Addie Welcomes The Terrible Two's Early!

As sweet as our two precious kids are, there are rough moments at the Brown house. As fun as it is to remember the millions of fun moments, I want to make sure we are able to remember ALL moments! And the last month has added a new dimension to that statement as Addie has welcomed tantrums to our regular routine. We are averaging one major emotional outburst a day usually around 6-7 PM. We have already had SO MANY stories to go along with these like Addie getting so upset that I gave her "milky" in the wrong sippy cup which instantly caused a breakdown that lasted over an hour and my sweet neighbor, Sakarra, was left on the playground with Carter and her son as I tried to diffuse the situation inside.

This other particular night, Addie was HORRIBLY hot and bothered that Ella had her baby and preceded to have a melt down that lasted almost an hour.

Ella even went to try and tell her sorry and to get her to calm down and Addie wanted nothing to do with her!

That also reminds me of another totally and completley different meltdown last week while we were AT ELLA'S house and Addie got so worked up (I can't remember why) and I had to escort her to the car after only being there for 20 minutes, where it took me every muscle I had and 15 minutes just to get her buckled in the car seat because she was so worked up!

Theses 2 pictures take the cake to depcit how we feel about Addie's new found habit... these were not staged and Blake had no idea I had the camera so near by. For Blake to even seem ruffled, you know that these meltdowns are NOT TOO FUN! But I have checked out 6 new parenting books from the library including "Setting Limits With Your Strong Willed Child!"

However the good news is, since I wrote this blog post 5 days ago, we have had 5 awesome days of no MAJOR meltdowns! I wish I could say that it was from alrady applying everything I read in the books but I haven't even opened them yet! (Just give me one more major tantrum and I will be up all night reading!)

WE LOVE YOU ADDIE!